◆ RAXUS Asia Professional baseball Championship 2026 Japan 9-5 South Korea (13th, Tokyo Dome)

In the 'Luxas Asia Professional baseball Championship 2026', Samurai Japan defeated South Korea with a power hitting display to secure their second consecutive victory. They took a major step toward reaching the finals for the third consecutive tournament. In the bottom of the 8th inning with two outs and runners on first and second, right after the game was tied, the number two hitter, infielder Rui Muneyama (23), hit a go-ahead three-run home run over the right field wall, marking his second home run of the game. He has been on a rampage with three home runs in two games since the opening match against Taiwan. The leadoff hitter, infielder Tomoya Masaki (27), who hit two home runs in the first game, also hit a two-run home run over center field in the 3rd inning to temporarily take the lead, totaling three home runs in two games. In addition to the 'terrifying number one and two hitters', Kojima hit a solo home run over the right field wall in the 6th inning, and with a total of four home runs, their destructive power shook off South Korea's counterattack.

Muneyama raised his right hand along with the bat he had swung. There was no need to even track the ball. It was perfect. The white ball flew in a straight line, reaching the upper deck of the right-field stands. His second consecutive home run of the game was a go-ahead, game-winning three-run blast. With a single spirited swing, he led the team to their second straight victory.

It was my fault that they caught up to us and tied the game. The moment I hit it, I thought it was gone.

He was fired up. In the eighth inning, right after his own fielder’s choice allowed the opponent to catch up to a four-point lead, Masaki, the hitter before him, was given an intentional walk after two balls with two outs and a runner on second. Amidst loud booing, he stepped into the batter's box with two outs and runners on first and second. 'I entered the box with incredible focus,' he said. On the third pitch after two balls, he caught a low splitter. This brought about a 12th consecutive victory against South Korea, including one draw. In the seventh inning, he had already hit a massive 133-meter two-run Home Run to right-center with no outs and a runner on first, marking his first time hitting two in a single game for the national team. He is now on a rampage this tournament with 3 Home Runs and 6 RBI. Manager Iguchi praised him, saying, 'Muneyama's concentration is wonderful.'

They are truly forming a "terrifying number one and two duo." Together with Masaki, the leadoff hitter, they exploded for 6 home runs and 11 RBI over two games. Muneyama expressed his trust, saying, "First, Masaki-san hits back the pitcher's best pitches, which gives me courage." While hitting behind a slugger with top-tier exit velocity and power often leads to unnecessary tension, he remains unfazed. "Instead of aiming to simply follow suit, I organize my own thoughts." He calmly stuck to his own swing.

The 23-year-old is a candidate for the regular short stop position in the near future. The manager expressed high expectations, saying, 'I really hope he plays short stop for us in next year's Premier 12 and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,' while Muneyama stated with determination, 'I want people to say that Japan's short stop is me from now on.' The rapidly growing player wearing number 1 shone brightly for the second night in a row. (Kota Miyauchi)

Record Note: Muneyama (Rakuten) performed brilliantly with 3 hits including 2 Home Runs and 5 RBI. Following his 3 hits including 1 Home Run and 1 RBI in the game against Taiwan on the 12th, he recorded a three-hit game in two consecutive matches. Regarding consecutive three-hit games in international competition since professional participation began, Shinnosuke Abe (Giants) holds the record with 3 at the 2007 Asian Championship. Muneyama's feat of two consecutive games ties him with Yukio Tanaka (Nippon-Ham) at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Ikuro Katsuragi (Orix) at the 2001 World Cup, and Yoshinobu Takahashi (Giants) at the 2003 Asian Championship.

Japan's conditions for advancing to the finals: Japan, currently with two consecutive wins, will advance to the finals with a win against Australia on the 14th. Even with a loss, they will advance if South Korea wins the South Korea-Taiwan game starting at 19:00. If Taiwan wins, the three teams—Japan, Australia, and Taiwan—will be tied at 2 wins and 1 loss, and Japan will advance if they rank among the top two teams based on the Team Quality Balance (TQB), which is the difference between runs scored and runs allowed across the entire first round for the three teams.